Vanilla yoghurt panna cotta

 

There’s something super special about this delicate dessert. Flecked with aromatic vanilla and set with a satisfying wobble, it’s an absolute pleasure to eat. 

Ingredients

• 1 leaf of gelatine
• 200 ml semi-skimmed milk
• ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• 200 g natural yoghurt
• 200 g rhubarb
• 2 tablespoons runny honey , plus extra to serve
• 300 g strawberries
• 
  

• Method

  1. Soak 1 gelatine leaf in cold water for 10 minutes, or until softened.
  2. Pour 200ml of semi-skimmed milk into a small saucepan, add ½ a teaspoon of vanilla bean paste, and warm on a medium heat until simmering. Remove from the heat and stir in the gelatine.
  3. Whisk in 200g of natural yoghurt, until smooth, then pour the mixture into 4 serving moulds or small glasses. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours, or until set.
  4. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4.
  5. Chop 200g of rhubarb into 5cm pieces and place in a large baking tray. Drizzle over 2 tablespoons of runny honey, then coarsely grate over 150g of strawberries.
  6. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the rhubarb is soft and juicy, but still holds its shape. Set aside until ready to serve.
  7. Hull and slice the remaining 150g of strawberries.
  8. Turn out each panna cotta onto a plate with the rhubarb and fresh strawberries. Drizzle with a little runny honey, if needed, and serve.

No-churn ice cream

 

“Making your own ice cream can be a labour of love, but this recipe couldn’t be easier. You’ll only need three ingredients, minimal equipment and 5 minutes of prep time. I’ve gone for a mint-choc-chip vibe here, but swap in your favourite chocolate bar to make it your own. ”

Ingredients

• 600 ml double cream
• 1 x 397 g tin of condensed milk
• 2 x 90 g Mint Aero bars or 1 x 175g bag of Maltesers , plus extra to serve

Method

1. Place the cream in a large bowl and whisk until soft peaks form, then fold in the condensed milk. Bash up the chocolate into different sizes – small bits, big bits and dusty bits, for variety – and fold most of it into the ice-cream mixture, keeping a small handful to one side for later.
2. Line a freezer-proof container or a small loaf tin with a sheet of baking paper and pour in the mixture, making sure it goes into the corners. Sprinkle over the reserved chocolate, then freeze for at least 4 hours, or until set.
3. Once you’re ready to serve, move from the freezer to the fridge (around 1 hour before you want to eat it), and gently thaw.
4. Turn it out onto a board, remove the baking paper and slice the ice cream into portions to serve. Bash up and sprinkle over a little extra chocolate to decorate, if you like.

Air-fryer vanilla & chocolate layered cheesecake

 

“Made with simple ingredients and a clever method, this is such a comforting but beautiful dessert, and cooking it in layers in an air fryer presents the perfect opportunity to add bonus flavour. As the cheesecake layers get higher, they become closer to the heat source, which results in more colour, and ultimately flavour. It’s quite visually different and was a real favourite at JO HQ during testing. Enjoy! ”

Ingredients

• olive oil or butter , for greasing
• 2 x 280 g tubs of cream cheese
• 150 g icing sugar , plus extra for dusting
• 3 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
• 3 large free-range eggs
• 35 g plain flour
• 100 g quality dark chocolate (70%)
• ½ a blood or regular orange
• 1 tablespoon runny honey
• 200 g fresh raspberries
• 
  

Method

1. Lightly grease the inside of an 18cm round loose-bottomed cake tin, and line just the bottom with greaseproof paper.
2. Beat the cream cheese in a large mixing bowl to soften slightly, then sift in the icing sugar and add the vanilla. Beat until smooth, then add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Sift in the flour and beat once more.
3. Pour one-third of the mixture into the lined tin, shake gently to even out the layer, then place in the air fryer and cook for 10 minutes at 200ºC.
4. When the time’s up, snap over half the chocolate and pour over half the remaining mixture, smoothing it out to the edges with a spatula. Cook for 7 minutes at 200ºC, then remove.
5. Snap over the remaining chocolate and top with the remaining mixture, smoothing out as before, and cook for a final 7 minutes at 200ºC.
6. To make the sauce, squeeze the orange juice into a bowl, add the honey, then mash well with half the raspberries. Scatter in the remaining raspberries, then toss together just before serving.
7. When the time’s up, allow the cheesecake to cool for 20 to 30 minutes, then slice up and serve with the dressed raspberries.

Wholewheat maple cinnamon buns

 

Ingredients

• 185 ml unsweetened almond milk
• 7g dried active yeast
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil , plus extra for greasing
• 150 g wholegrain flour
• 160 g plain white flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• FILLING
• 90 g pecan nuts
• 2 ripe medium bananas
• 4 medjool dates
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• ALMOND ICING
• 1-2 tablespoons almond milk
• 75 g icing sugar
• 
  

Method

1. To make the dough, gently heat the almond milk until lukewarm, then combine in a small bowl with the yeast and maple syrup. Set aside for about 5 minutes for the yeast to activate.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, stir the flaxseed into 3 tablespoons of water and set aside for 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Melt the coconut oil, then add to the flaxseed mixture along with the flours, cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon of sea salt. Gradually stir in the yeast mixture.
4. Bring everything together with your hands – the dough will feel a bit tacky, but this is fine. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead a couple of times.
5. Place in a greased bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave somewhere warm to prove for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
6. Meanwhile, make the filling. Toast the pecans in a dry frying pan. Peel the bananas and destone the dates.
7. Reserving one-third of the toasted pecans to one side, add all the filling ingredients to a food processor, then blitz until smooth.
8. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/gas 4. Grease a 20cm x 20cm baking dish with a little coconut oil.
9. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 20cm x 40cm. Blob the nut mixture onto the dough and spread it evenly across to the edges.
10. Roll up widthways (from the shortest edge) tightly into a log, then cut into nine slices.
11. Place the slices in the baking dish, cover with a clean tea towel and allow to prove for another 25 minutes or until doubled in size. Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden and slightly firm to the touch. Leave in the tin to cool.
12. In a small bowl, mix together the almond milk and icing sugar until it’s thick enough to drizzle over the buns. Chop and sprinkle over the reserved toasted pecans and serve.

Lamingtons

 

“Sandwiched together with sticky-sweet raspberry jam, dunked in glossy chocolate icing, and covered with coconut, these bite-sized Aussie favourites are a real flavour sensation, and the perfect way to celebrate Australia Day! 

Ingredients

• 500 g unsalted butter , (at room temperature), plus extra for greasing
• 250 g self-raising flour , plus extra for dusting
• 250 g golden caster sugar
• 5 large free-range eggs
• 100 ml milk
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 250 g quality dark chocolate , (70%)
• 100 g icing sugar
• 300 g desiccated coconut
• 1 x 340 g jar of quality raspberry jam
• 
  

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas 5. Grease two 25cm x 35cm baking trays with sides, line the bases with greaseproof paper, then dust lightly with flour.
2. For the sponges, beat 250g of the butter and all the golden caster sugar together until very light and fluffy. One-by-one, beat in the eggs, followed by the milk and vanilla extract, then sift and fold in the flour and baking powder.
3. Divide cake mixture between the prepared tins and spread out evenly, then bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden, risen and an inserted skewer comes out clean. Cool slightly in the tins, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
4. For the icing, sieve the icing sugar into a heatproof bowl. Snap in the chocolate, roughly chop and add the remaining butter, then melt over a pan of simmering water, stirring regularly until glossy. Pour the dessicated coconut onto a flat tray.
5. Once cooled, spread the jam over one of the cakes, then place the second cake on top. Carefully slice into 4cm squares – you should end up with 54 in total.
6. To decorate, get a little production line going – dip a square of cake into the chocolate icing, turning to coat all the sides. Place the chocolate dipped sponge onto a wire rack to allow excess chocolate to drip off, then coat with the coconut, returning to the wire rack to set.
7. Repeat with the remaining cakes, then once set, tuck in!

Flourless chocolate cake

 

“Get your chocolate fix with this super-moreish flourless chocolate cake ”

Ingredients

• 200 g unsalted butter , plus extra for greasing
• 200 g dark chocolate (70%)
• 1 tablespoon strong coffee
• 6 large free-range eggs
• 250 g golden caster sugar
• 70 g cocoa powder , plus extra for dusting
• 
  

• Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 160ºC/320ºF/gas 3. Grease a 20cm springform cake tin with a little butter and line with greaseproof paper.
  2. Rest a medium heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water on a medium-low heat. Break in the chocolate, roughly chop and add the butter, then allow to melt, stirring occasionally until smooth and glossy.
  3. Carefully remove the bowl from the heat, stir in the coffee and set aside to cool slightly.
  4. Separate the egg yolks and whites between two large bowls. Whisk the egg whites for 1 to 2 minutes, or until soft peaks form.
  5. Add the sugar to the yolks and beat for 7 minutes, or until pale. Sift in the cocoa powder and 1 pinch of sea salt, then gently fold through to combine.
  6. Stir in the melted chocolate mixture, then gently fold through the egg whites until smooth.
  7. Transfer to the prepared tin and place in the hot oven for around 1 hour, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
  8. Allow to cool completely on a wire cooling rack, then serve with a dusting of cocoa powder and fresh berries.

Kerala-style air-fryer roast chicken

 

“Here you’ll find the marriage of two of the greatest loves in my life – a roast dinner and a chicken curry! Using an air fryer makes this an efficient recipe for cooking a whole bird in a small space and, rubbed with fragrant spices then served up with gnarly veg, fluffy rice and crispy poppadoms, this is a low-maintenance way to cook-up a fantastic meal for the whole family. ”

Ingredients

• 1 x 1.5 kg whole free-range chicken
• 1 small cauliflower
• 4 tablespoons Kerala-style curry paste
• red wine vinegar
• olive oil
• 1 x 700 g jar of chickpeas
• 1 mug of basmati rice (300g)
• ½ a lemon
• ½ a cucumber
• ½ a red chilli
• 150 g natural yoghurt
• 3 tablespoons mango chutney
• ½ a pomegranate
• poppadoms , to serve
• CURRY SAUCE
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 5 cm piece of ginger
• 1 fresh red chilli
• 1 bunch of coriander (30g)
• groundnut oil
• 1 heaped teaspoon brown mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 handful of curry leaves
• 300 g ripe cherry tomatoes
• 1 x 400 g tin of light coconut milk
• ½ a lemon

Method

1. Press down firmly on the chicken breasts to break the back bone, squashing the bird slightly, then slash each thigh a few times to help the heat penetrate as it cooks. Quarter the cauliflower, discarding any tatty outer leaves.
2. Rub 2 tablespoons each of curry paste and olive oil, a splash of red wine vinegar and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper, all over the chicken and cauliflower, getting into all the nooks and crannies.
3. Place the chicken breast-side down, in the larger drawer of the air fryer and press down. Cook for 50 minutes at 200ºC, or until cooked through, turning halfway.
4. Place the cauliflower in the smaller drawer and cook for 50 minutes at 200ºC, adding the chickpeas halfway.
5. Meanwhile, for the curry sauce, peel and finely slice the onion, garlic and ginger, then deseed and finely slice the chilli. Pick the coriander leaves, finely chopping the stalks.
6. Put a large non-stick pan on a medium heat with 1 tablespoon of groundnut oil, the spices and curry leaves and fry for 2 minutes, then add the onion, garlic, ginger, chilli, a pinch of black pepper, the coriander stalks and tomatoes, breaking them up with a spoon as you go. Stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of curry paste and cook for 15 minutes, or until softened, stirring occasionally.
7. Pour 2 mugs of boiling kettle water into a pan, halve and add the lemon, along with a pinch of salt and place on a high heat. Tip in the rice, stir well, then cover and cook on a low heat for 12 minutes, or until tender. Leave to sit for 2 minutes, then fluff up with a fork. Remove the lemon and squeeze it over the rice.
8. Stir in the coconut milk, then simmer gently on a medium-low heat until reduced to a saucy consistency. Season to perfection with salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice.
9. Coarsely grate the cucumber and place in a small bowl, squeezing out the excess moisture. Finely chop and add the chilli, then stir in the yoghurt. Drizzle with a little olive oil.
10. Put the mango chutney into a small serving bowl. Holding the pomegranate half cut-side down in the palm of your hand, bash the back with a spoon so all the seeds tumble out into the bowl. Mix together.
11. Spoon the rice onto a serving platter or board, place the cooked chicken on top, then arrange the cauliflower and chickpeas around the sides. Serve the curry sauce in a bowl, with the smaller bowls of cucumber yoghurt and mango chutney on the side, and a stack of poppadoms. Scatter over the coriander leaves, then tuck in.

Devil's double choc malt cookies

 

Ingredients

• 50 g unsalted butter
• 200 g quality dark chocolate (70%)
• 1 x 396 g tin of condensed milk
• 25 g ground almonds
• 2 heaped teaspoons Horlicks
• 200 g self-raising flour
• 100 g Maltesers
• 50 g quality white chocolate

Method

1. Melt the butter and chocolate in a pan on a low heat until smooth and combined, stirring occasionally.
2. Remove from the heat and stir in the condensed milk, followed by the almonds and Horlicks.
3. Sift in the flour and a pinch of sea salt, mix together, then chill in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes (no longer).
4. Once cool, but still pliable, smash up the Maltesers and roughly chop the white chocolate, then mix it all together.
5. Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/gas 3.
6. Divide the mixture into 24 equal-sized balls and place on a couple of large baking trays lined with greaseproof paper.
7. Flatten each a little – like squashed golf balls (you can freeze them at this stage to bake another day if you like) – then bake for around 12 minutes, or until chewy in the middle and firm at the edges. Leave to sit in the tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
8. If you want to take these devilish cookies to another level, either sandwich 2 cookies with a good spoonful of your favourite ice cream, or even some homemade marshmallow, and squeeze… heaven, or simply drizzle all the cookies with melted chocolate while they cool… amazing!

DIY oaty fruity cereal

 

“Eating a tasty, nutritious breakfast is a great way to help kick-start your day the best way you can. Make a big batch of healthy cereal, then store it in an airtight container for up to four weeks. I’ve given you two great ways to serve it here, but feel free to come up with your own ideas. ”

Ingredients

• CEREAL
• 100 g dried fruit, such as sultanas, raisins, dried apricots
• 50 g mixed unsalted nuts, such as almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts
• 50 g mixed seeds, such as pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, poppy
• 400 g porridge oats
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon , optional
• milk or natural yoghurt , to serve
• BIRCHER (SERVES 4)
• 1 eating apple
• roughly 400 ml milk

• Method

  1. To make the basic cereal, roughly chop any larger dried fruit and nuts, then place into a large bowl along with the seeds, oats and cinnamon (if using).
  2. Tip into an airtight container.
  3. Now you have two choices. To serve your cereal as it is, place a handful of cereal (roughly 50g) per person into your serving bowls.
  4. Add milk or natural yoghurt and chopped fresh fruit, if you like, then serve.
  5. To make bircher muesli for 4 people, add 200g of the cereal to a large bowl.
  6. Place a box grater on a board, then coarsely grate the apple, discarding the core. Add it to your oaty cereal.
  7. Pour over enough milk to cover, then mix well.
  8. Cover the bowl with clingfilm, then pop in the fridge to soak overnight.
  9. When you’re ready to eat, give the bircher a good stir, divide between your bowls, then serve with chopped fresh fruit, if you like.

Mum's sherry trifle

 

Ingredients

• 100 g boudoir biscuits (sponge fingers) , or 6 Weetabix
• 100 ml sweet sherry
• 250 g fresh raspberries
• 300 g fresh strawberries
• 2 x 135 g packs of raspberry or strawberry jelly
• 35 g Bird’s Custard powder
• 2 tablespoons golden caster sugar
• 600 ml organic milk
• 600 ml double cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
• 2 Cadbury’s Flakes , or 50g dark chocolate (70%)
• hundreds and thousands, candied angelica , optional

Method

1. Arrange the biscuits or Weetabix on the bottom of a large glass trifle bowl (you can usually pick up beautiful crystal bowls from charity shops). Hull and slice the strawberries, reserving some for decoration, and scatter over the fingers with half of the raspberries then drizzle well with the sherry.
2. Tear up the jelly into cubes, pop in a heatproof measuring jug and add 600ml boiling water, stirring until all dissolved, then add 600ml of cold water. Pour over the sponge and fruit, place in the fridge and allow to set.
3. Prepare the custard by mixing the custard powder with the sugar and a little milk in a bowl, and mix until dissolved. Heat the remaining milk until nearly boiling, then add to the custard mix. Stir and return to the pan, whisking as it comes back to the boil and turns lovely and thick. Pour the custard into the bowl and allow to cool, stirring occasionally so the custard doesn’t form a skin, then pour over the set jelly, spreading it out with the back of a spoon so the jelly is all covered.
4. Whip the double cream with the vanilla paste until you have soft peaks, then spoon over the layer of custard, creating peaks with the back of your spoon.
5. Finish the trifle by crumbling over the chocolate Flakes or, if you’re feeling more upmarket, grate over the dark chocolate. Finally, decorate with the remaining raspberries and sliced strawberries, and for that true Seventies flourish, hundreds and thousands and candied angelica if you fancy it.

Chai spiced carrot cake

 

“If you love carrot cake, you’ll adore this chai-spiced version, with warming tea and fragrant cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and nutmeg. ”

Ingredients

• 250 ml vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing
• 4 large carrots
• 1 large lemon
• 100 g currants , or sultanas
• 100 g pecans
• 280 g plain flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground cardamom
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¼ teaspoon ground anise
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 4 tablespoons candied ginger in syrup
• 1 black tea bag
• 2 large free-range eggs
• 200 g caster sugar
• 200 g light brown sugar
• 30 g flaked coconut
• BUTTERCREAM
• 200 g unsalted butter , (at room temperature)
• 200 g cream cheese
• 125 g icing sugar
• 
  

• Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4. Grease and line a 20cm x 30cm traybake tin.
  2. Peel and grate the carrots into a large bowl, then grate in the lemon zest. Mix in the currants, then roughly chop and add the pecans.
  3. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, all the spices and ½ a teaspoon of sea salt. Dice and add the ginger, then split open the tea bag, pour in the leaves, and mix well.
  4. Whisk the eggs in a mixing jug, then mix in both sugars and the vegetable oil. Pour over the carrots, give it a good stir, then add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
  5. Pour the batter into the pan and bake in the oven for 55 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
  6. Allow to cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then remove from the tin and invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
  7. Meanwhile, for the buttercream, place the butter in the bowl of a free-standing mixer and beat for about 5 minutes, or until creamy.
  8. Add the cream cheese and beat until just combined. Next, add the icing sugar and beat again until smooth – don't overmix it, or your icing will be runny! Chill in the fridge for at least 15 minutes, then spoon over the cake and spread out evenly.
  9. Toast the coconut in a dry frying pan over a medium heat for 3 minutes, or until lightly golden, tossing occasionally. Scatter over the iced cake, then slice up and enjoy!

Gluten-free chocolate cake

 

“Whether you’re gluten intolerant or not, this delicious gluten-free chocolate cake with scrumptious buttercream icing and a hit of fresh raspberries is a real winner! ”

Ingredients

• 300 g unsalted butter , plus extra for greasing
• 300 g gluten-free plain flour , plus extra for dusting
• 300 g golden caster sugar
• 4 large free-range eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum
• 6 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 3 tablespoons milk
• FOR THE FILLING
• 200 g icing sugar
• 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 100 g unsalted butter
• 100 g cream cheese
• 70 g fresh raspberries
• quality dark chocolate (75% cocoa solids) , to serve

• Method

  1. Before you start, remove the butter from the fridge and allow to come up to room temperature.
  2. Preheat the oven to 190ºC/375ºF/gas 5. Grease two springform cake tins (roughly 20cm) with butter, then line the bottom with greaseproof paper and dust the sides with gluten-free flour.
  3. In a bowl, beat the butter and sugar for around 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Crack in the eggs, then mix in the vanilla extract until combined. Sieve the flour, baking powder, xanthan gum and cocoa powder into the bowl, then fold through. Add the milk and stir briefly until you have a nice, smooth batter.
  4. Carefully divide the mixture between the cake tins, then place on the middle shelf of the hot oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool for 5 minutes, before turning the cakes out onto a wire cooling rack, then leave to cool completely while you make the icing.
  5. Sieve the icing sugar and cocoa powder into a large bowl, then add the butter and beat until smooth. Stir in the cream cheese until combined. If it’s a little thick, add a splash of milk to loosen.
  6. Once cooled, place one of the sponges on a plate or cake stand. Carefully spread over half the butter icing. In a bowl, crush the raspberries with a fork, then scatter on top. Sandwich the second sponge on top and press down slightly, then carefully spread over the remaining icing and finish with a few shavings of chocolate.

Love heart Camembert

 

“Push the boat out with this easy tear ’n’ share bread with oozy Camembert for dunking. A big show off party bread that’s as easy as it is impressive – just the thing if you’re having friends and family over for nibbles. ”

Ingredients

• 800 g strong bread flour , plus extra for dusting
• 1 x 7 g sachet of dried yeast
• 3 x 250 g round Camembert cheeses
• ½ a bunch of fresh rosemary , (15g)
• 3 cloves of garlic

• Method

  1. Put the flour, yeast and 1 teaspoon of sea salt into the bowl of a food processor. Gradually pour in 500ml of tepid water and pulse for a few minutes until you have a ball of dough. Leave the lid on and prove in a warm place for 1 hour 30 minutes, or until doubled in size.
  2. Line a large baking tray with greaseproof paper and dust with flour. Lightly draw the outline of a heart in the flour with your finger. Remove the box base from one Camembert and place it in the centre of the tray.
  3. Divide the dough into four pieces, then each of those into 12, giving you 48 in total. One-by-one roll each piece into a ball and place on the tray, building out from the Camembert box to create your heart shape. Cover with a damp tea towel and leave to prove for another hour.
  4. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Cut the rind off the top of each Camembert leaving a 1cm rim (reserving the boxes for baking). Pick the tips off three rosemary sprigs and poke into the soft cheeses, then peel and finely slice the garlic, drizzle with olive oil and poke those in too. Sprinkle each cheese with a pinch of sea salt and black pepper, then pop one in its box in the centre of the heart, and another on a separate tray. Reserve the third cheese for later.
  5. Strip the remaining rosemary leaves and dot between the dough balls. Sprinkle with a good pinch of salt from a height, and drizzle with olive oil. Place the bread heart in the oven with the second cheese on the shelf below and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the Camemberts are gooey and the bread is risen and golden. As soon as you serve the first two cheeses, bake the third one in its box for about 20 minutes, then swap with the eaten ones. Delicious.

Super smoothie ice lollies

 

“Summer desserts don’t get much better than this fruity little number – blitz up a batch and leave in the freezer ready for when the sun shines. ”

Ingredients

• 1 small ripe banana
• 1 mug of fresh or frozen berries , (150g)
• 1 mug of milk , (300ml)
• 3 tablespoons natural yoghurt
• 1 tablespoon runny honey
• 6 mint leaves

• Method

  1. Peel the banana and place in a blender with the berries, milk, yoghurt and honey.
  2. Pick in the mint leaves, then blitz until super smooth.
  3. Divide the mixture between 8 ice lolly moulds, then pop a stick into each one. Put the ice lollies in the freezer for at least 4 hours, or until solid.

No-churn ice cream

 

“Making your own ice cream can be a labour of love, but this recipe couldn’t be easier. You’ll only need three ingredients, minimal equipment and 5 minutes of prep time. I’ve gone for a mint-choc-chip vibe here, but swap in your favourite chocolate bar to make it your own. ”

Ingredients

• 600 ml double cream
• 1 x 397 g tin of condensed milk
• 2 x 90 g Mint Aero bars or 1 x 175g bag of Maltesers , plus extra to serve

• Method

  1. Place the cream in a large bowl and whisk until soft peaks form, then fold in the condensed milk. Bash up the chocolate into different sizes – small bits, big bits and dusty bits, for variety – and fold most of it into the ice-cream mixture, keeping a small handful to one side for later.
  2. Line a freezer-proof container or a small loaf tin with a sheet of baking paper and pour in the mixture, making sure it goes into the corners. Sprinkle over the reserved chocolate, then freeze for at least 4 hours, or until set.
  3. Once you’re ready to serve, move from the freezer to the fridge (around 1 hour before you want to eat it), and gently thaw.
  4. Turn it out onto a board, remove the baking paper and slice the ice cream into portions to serve. Bash up and sprinkle over a little extra chocolate to decorate, if you like.

Cacao and peanut swirl cake

 

“This is a dessert that I created on a retreat, where the sea and its dancing waves inspired the cake’s swirls. Sweet but salty, with a vanilla and peanut taste. My grandma tells me often that when fear captures me or I feel overwhelmed, to sit with water, to get inspired by it. She tells me that water can be strong and delicate at the same time; it moves around obstacles gently, it doesn’t fear where it’s going, it doesn’t get caught up in the future, it just adapts to what is in its way. Water reminds me to flow in life, and when I’m in flow mode, I create. ”

Ingredients

• 160g/5¾oz/1 cup whole almonds
• 160g/5¾oz/¾ cup pitted dates (I use deglet noor, as they are cheaper than medjool dates)
• a pinch of salt
• ½ teaspoon coconut oil, melted
• FOR THE FILLING
• 250g/9oz/1¾ cups cashews, soaked for 4–6 hours, then drained
• WHITE PART
• 125g/4½oz/½ cup peanut butter
• 2 drops of pure vanilla extract
• 4 tablespoons agave syrup
• 250ml/9fl oz/1 cup water
• 5 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
• DARK PART
• a large pinch of salt
• 3 tablespoons agave syrup
• 250ml/9fl oz/1 cup water
• 5 tablespoons cacao powder
• 4 tablespoons coconut oil, melted

• Method

  1. To make the base, pulse the almonds and dates in a food processor until broken down, then add the salt and melted coconut oil and blend for a few minutes until well combined and the mixture is starting to stick together. Spoon the mixture into a 23cm/9in loose-bottomed cake pan and press down firmly to cover the bottom.
  2. To make the filling, divide the soaked cashews in half and place one half in the blender with the peanut butter, vanilla extract, agave and water and blend until smooth. If the filling is too thick and isn’t coming together, add an extra tablespoon of water at a time. Add the melted coconut oil and blend until well combined. Transfer the mixture to a jar or bowl and set aside while you make the chocolate filling.
  3. Blend the other half of the soaked cashews in the food processor with the salt, agave, water and cacao powder until smooth. If the filling is too thick and isn’t coming together, add an extra tablespoon of water at a time. Add the melted coconut oil and blend until combined.
  4. Pour some of the chocolate filling into the tart pan to create a circle, then pour some of the peanut filling on top, and repeat until both are used up. Use a chopstick to create swirls in the filling.
  5. Place in the freezer for 3 hours or in the refrigerator overnight to set. If frozen it needs to thaw at room temperature before cutting and serving.

Orange curd mini tarts

 

Ingredients

• 24 pre-cooked shortcrust pastry tartlet shells
• Pinch dried fruit powder (from health food shops; optional)

For the curd

• Finely grated zest and juice 2 oranges
• 50g unsalted butter
• 100g sugar
• 1 large free-range egg, plus 1 egg yolk

For the mascarpone

• 250g mascarpone
• 1 heaped tbsp icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste

Useful to have

• Digital thermometer

Method

1. For the curd, measure out 100ml orange juice – you may not need all the juice you have. Combine the orange zest, juice, butter and sugar in a heatproof bowl. Put over a saucepan of simmering water (don’t let the water touch the base of the bowl) and allow the butter to melt, stirring occasionally. Loosely beat the egg and egg yolk, add to the warm butter mixture and whisk over the heat for around 5 minutes until the curd is glossy and thickened. Remove the bowl from the heat and leave to cool (if you have a thermometer, remove from the heat when it reaches 80-82°C). Divide between piping bags or sealable freezer bags and refrigerate or freeze.
2. Put the mascarpone into a mixing bowl. Use a spatula to beat the icing sugar and vanilla into the cheese (which will become slack). Divide between piping bags or sealable freezer bags and refrigerate or freeze.
3. If you’ve frozen the fillings, when you’re 8-12 hours away from assembling the tartlets, defrost a bag of curd and a bag of mascarpone in the fridge. When ready, snip the piping bag ends or a small corner from the bags. Squeeze about 1 tsp of curd into the base of each tart shell and add a good splodge of mascarpone. Use a small fine sieve to add a dusting of fruit powder, if you like.

Chocolate soured cream cake

 

Ingredients

• 175g unsalted butter, softened
• 200g golden caster sugar
• 3 medium free-range eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla paste
• 100g dark chocolate, melted
• 200g self-raising flour
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 150g soured cream
• 75g milk chocolate, chopped

For the filling

• 100g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), chopped
• 100g soured cream

For the buttercream

• 125g unsalted butter, softened
• 250g icing sugar, sifted
• 50g soured cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

You’ll also need…

• 2 x 18cm loose-bottomed cake tins, bases lined and sides greased

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4. Using an electric hand mixer, beat the 175g butter with the caster sugar in a mixing bowl until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, then beat in the vanilla, 100g melted chocolate, flour, cocoa powder and bicarb until combined. Finally, beat in the 150g soured cream. Divide between the 2 prepared tins, level the tops and bake for 30 minutes or until risen and springy to the touch. Cool in the tin for 5-10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
2. For the filling, melt the dark/plain chocolate in the 100g soured cream in a bowl over a pan of simmering water (don’t let the bowl touch the water). Stir briefly, then leave to cool.
3. Make the buttercream by beating the butter with the icing sugar in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Put a clean damp tea towel over the bowl when you start mixing to stop a cloud of icing sugar escaping. Once the mix is fluffy, beat in the soured cream and vanilla.
4. Put one of the sponges on a cake stand or plate and spread with the filling. Put the other sponge on top and cover with the buttercream, smoothing it all over. Use a palette knife to scrape the sides so you can see bits of the cake under the buttercream.
5. To finish the cake, melt 50g of the milk chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water (or in the microwave). Once melted, stir in the rest of the chopped chocolate, then spoon it over the cake, swirling it to marble the top and encourage it to run down the sides.